STAGE. STarting AGe and Extramural English: Learning English in and outside of school in Norway and Flanders

The aim of the project “STarting AGe and Extramural English: Learning English in and outside of school in Norway and Flanders” (STAGE) is to advance our understanding of the relation between language input and language acquisition by investigating the mechanisms underlying language learning among learners of English as a foreign/second language (L2) who are exposed to a lot of English outside school, but who have different starting ages for formal English instruction. In Norway, English in school starts in grade 1 (early start), but in Flanders, the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium, English instruction does not start until in grade 7 or 8 (late start). Thus, the starting age for formal instruction differs between the two settings, but Norway and Flanders are similar when it comes to young people’s access to English outside school, known as Extramural English (EE). This means that regardless of setting, children are exposed to and use English voluntarily, and such exposure and use may even begin before they start school. The overarching research question is: “What is the relationship between starting age, Extramural English and English language proficiency?” To answer this question, we are comparing learners from Norway and Flanders at three levels: in grade 1, age 6–7 (EE in both settings + the onset of instruction in Norway); in grade 6, age 11–12 (EE in both settings + instruction for 6 years in Norway); and in grade 10, age 15–16 (EE in both settings + instruction for 10 years in Norway and for 3 or 4 years in Flanders). We have collected data from 984 participants in Norway and Flanders. To measure their engagement in EE, we used a parental questionnaire (grades 1 and 6), a learner questionnaire (grades 1, 6, and 10), group and individual interviews (grades 1, 6, and 10), and home interviews (grade 1). To measure vocabulary knowledge, we used a picture-based vocabulary test (all levels, with a shortened version in grade 1) and a multiple-choice vocabulary test (grade 10), and to measure reading comprehension, a multiple-choice reading test (grades 6 and 10). To measure speaking proficiency, we used a small-group speaking test, one in grade 6 (33 tests, 98 participants) and another in grade 10 (25 tests, 72 participants). All tests were video recorded and each test performance was independently assessed by three raters. As of 1 October 2024, all data have been pseudonymized. While some analytical work has been completed, most analyses are currently ongoing in parallel with writing the accompanying papers in accordance with the project plan. In the project we are also developing a new vocabulary test for young L2 English learners (age 6–7) with the working name “STAGE Young Learner Test of Vocabulary;” this encompasses a separate data collection. We have completed a norming study with 61 participants from Norway and Sweden, and the next phase is to run an international pilot study. A PhD student was recruited to STAGE in 2022, Nasrin Ulfat. She is writing a compilation thesis focusing on escapism (defined as the practice of temporarily escaping reality and everyday troubles) and EE. The thesis will include three studies. The first paper is an interview study with five 10th-grade L2 English learners in Norway (Ulfat, 2024). Among other things, the results revealed that all interviewees experienced escapism similarly as a way to reduce stress. Interestingly, they also reported that English (rather than Norwegian) was necessary for escaping. Moreover, the interviewees argued that their extramural escapist practices positively influenced their proficiency in English. Her second paper will be submitted soon. We were fortunate to recruit a second PhD student to STAGE, Kathrine Staksrud, whose position is funded by her employer Østfold University College (at 60% pace). Her thesis has a focus on L2 English oral proficiency and EE, in grades 6 and 10. The first study will be submitted within a few months. Up until now, we report 6 scientific publications, 10 paper presentations at international conferences, 1 poster and 22 other dissemination activities. Most recently, in a paper based on data collected from Norwegian 1st-grade participants, the results showed that these very young learners knew approximately 750 English word families when they had just started school, but there was large individual variation. In addition, the boys scored higher than the girls. The 1st-graders’ engagement in EE activities, as reported by parents, correlated with the vocabulary scores. This means that many (but not all) children start school with extensive L2 English vocabulary knowledge – words that have been learned incidentally through EE activities. In the interviews, we found that they viewed English as a lingua franca, even though it was also evident that many had vague ideas of English as a language and concept. STAGE is now moving into its final year, with all work packages proceeding as planned.

The STAGE project, STarting AGe and Extramural English, aims to advance our understanding of the relation between language input and language acquisition by investigating the mechanisms underlying language learning among English-as-Foreign-Language learners who are exposed to large amounts of English language input outside of school (Extramural English, EE), but who have different starting ages for formal English instruction in school. The project is the first of size to investigate the impact of an early start in input-rich contexts. The regions involved are Norway, early start (grade 1, age 6-7), and Flanders, late start (grade 7, age 12-13, or grade 8, age 13-14). The main objective of STAGE is to provide new and crucial insights into the input-acquisition relationship by unraveling the relative contribution of formal instruction and EE to learners’ English proficiency. We will use several methods and analyze and compare (across age groups and settings) test measures of English vocabulary knowledge, reading comprehension, and speaking, as well as data from learner interviews and speaking tests. Results will show what learners are capable of as a result of exposure to EE and inform teachers about how to boost English proficiency outside the classroom, and about how to face challenges of increasingly large individual differences in classrooms. STAGE will contribute substantially to language learning theory by addressing important, current scientific challenges in the field of Second Language Acquisition, to research by delivering two new reliable tests (vocabulary, speaking) designed specifically for very young learners, and to society about the optimal starting age for formal instruction – results relevant to policy-makers and politicians. The most critical challenges are anticipated in the collection of data, as it involves children and adolescents. However, the researchers have long experience of projects with young participants, so these challenges can be met.